Dappled Ground
by Maelstrome
Summary: Everyone's dead and Kagome has shut down. Her mother, desperate to stop her daughter from sinking further, contacts her only option in hopes that they can help. When Kagome's situation reaches the ears of the head of the family he decides to use the mentally unstable priestess for his own ends. Takes place after the end of both anime. (M) Akito/Tohru, Kagome/Kyo
1. Prolouge

(Hello everyone! Look whose posting again, yup the person you didn't want! Oh well, so quick update: digimon story will be posted once the first 10 chapters are re-edited because that story is getting a major overhaul. My Twilight Princess fic needs the last chapters complete and also edited but it too will be posted. It's the shorter of the two but because of how much I have to make up in terms of lore it takes longer. Not to mention work is a major distraction. Now this one... ah, okay truth be told I love Inuyasha, always have since I was young, I think I have over 7 different crossover ideas for it already but this one is the best so far so it's what I'm posting.

Couple notes: Akito is male in this, I know he's female (spoilers?) in the manga but I didn't read the manga. I have done research on the manga and I know of the stuff in it... kinda, but I'll mostly be going off of the anime and well, crossing it with Inuyasha. The addition of demons and magic really add lots of possibilities you know. Also, there are pairings in this and if you don't like them well... you don't have to read I suppose. It's **Kagome x Kyo** and **Torhu x Akito.** If you have any thing to say about the last pairing I got nothing, I just like it. ~Just wait for my Silent Hill/ FB crossover~ Now the last thing, this is a slow boil. I mean slow, as in the first 5 chapters are all set up really, if you arn't a fan of that kind of pacing you might try a different fic.)

Disclaimer: Now I'm only going to say this once here and never again. I don't own either of the shows or IP in this story, this is where you can't actually post original IP. Seriously it's in the guidelines so nothing is being claimed or owned here. I won't be posting this on any other chapter. None of the characters are mine, none of the worlds are mine, you know who their owned by. That's all, Enjoy~

Prolouge ~

The afternoon sun was sinking down the sky over the Higurashi shrine, leaving it's golden glow to fall through the sacred tree's leaves. Spring had come after a long winter and the tree was once again blooming with lush, rich foliage. The dappled ground had been swept clean of the dead twigs that had littered it and the dead leaves from the fall before. Few people milled around as they came to say their prayers and give their offerings for the new year. Inside the small dwelling on the large shrine a young mother vigorously washed the dishes for the coming dinner. Arguing with herself as always if it was a good idea to make extra in case her baby girl came home that day.

It had been almost a month since she had seen her daughter, not as long as a few other times but there was no warning. Her girl didn't tell her of the long journey her and her friends were taking so she had thought the stay would be about two weeks as it usually was. Ms. Higurashi would never come out and say it, but she was terrified for her only daughter. While she was here taking care of the home and shrine, Kagome was out fighting demons in the past. It was important, but sometimes her motherly instincts cried out to her to drag the girl back and keep her away from that place, for she knew. She knew in her heart that when their journey was over it was highly likely Kagome would marry that handsome young man who would follow her from the past. The brash half demon with silver hair and adorable little dog ears who loved Kagome deeply.

Holding back an errant sob that welled in her throat, Mrs. Higurashi took a deep breath and stabilized her swaying form by gripping tight to the counter. She wanted her girl to be happy, she wanted Kagome to live with the man she loved, even if it was away from her family. Even if the mother would never see her baby girl again she understood how important it was. How much Kagome would be in pain if she wasn't allowed to follow her heart. For that reason she kept all these emotions hidden. Not only from her daughter but from her own son and her father-in-law. Perhaps that was the hardest part. Though the boys loved and admired Kagome they couldn't understand the deep conflict Mrs. Higurashi had with letting the girl go to never be seen again. Not for the first time she wished that her husband was with her. Her distressing thoughts turned to the day she lost him and finally the tears spilled over. Her family was all she had and it was slowly breaking apart at the seems, but she would not, _could not_ , stop them. They had their own lives to live, their own battles to fight, even if it was far away from her.

As Mrs. Higurashi's sobbing quieted down she turned off the still running faucet and dried her tears with the dish towel. She wouldn't think about that now, she wouldn't. She had wasted enough time mourning today and it was time to get dinner started. Quickly she reached for the fridge only to notice her trembling hands. They quaked with the weight that she tried suppressing and she yanked them back. If either of the boys saw her like this, they wouldn't understand. Nor would they be able to help, she just had to get over it. Swallow the pain as she always did, until a keening wail periced through her thoughts.

Blinking rapidly she looked up and heard it again. A long screeching cry that sounded like...

"Kagome!" She couldn't help shouting as she rushed out of the house. Relief and fear flooded through her as she heard the anguished cries ringing in her ears. Something was wrong, the only other time Kagome had come back in tears was when that freak weather accident happened. She bounded across the shadowed ground as she passed the guardian tree, headed for the old well where the sounds were echoing from.

"INUYASHA!" Kagome screamed with such pain and despair it felt like a knife carving into the souls of any who heard it. Her mother felt her blood run cold as she threw open the old wooden doors and raced down the steps, barely stopping into time before she toppled into the well. Freezing in place she could only watch for moments at the scene below. She heard the sounds of Souta and her farther in law running towards the sound as well, shouting in confusion.

Kagome was clawing at the earth in such a fervored frenzy that her nails were completely ruined, blood splashed along the walls of the well while her tears soaked the dusty ground. Her usual school uniform was in tattered ruins as bruises and cuts littered her body. Her choked sobs echoed up through the well, snapping her mother out of the trance she was in. Without a further thought she lowered herself into the well beside her daughter and tried rubbing her back.

Kagome reacted quickly and spun, knocking the offending hand away, face red and water streaming in rivulets down her face. Her eyes which were puffy focused on her mother, not recognizing the woman at first. Ms. Higurashi could only hold back her tears for a moment before realization hit the teenagers eyes and she was tackled with a strength unfitting of the young girl.

"MOM! MOMMA!" Kagome wailed as she gripped tight to her mother for dear life. Burying her face in her mothers chest as she wept, her grip was tight, as if the woman was the only thing keeping her from falling into the abyss. Her mother could only cry with her, petting her hair softly as she tried to comfort her ailing daughter.

"Kagome, what happened?" She cooed softly, trying to get a coherent response out of the hysterical child. Kagome looked up and her eyes were filled with such pain and loss that her mother had a dreadful feeling that she knew what words were going to come out of her mouth.

"I-Inuyasha..." She choked, Kagome's eyes glazing over as if in memory. Her body trembled with a violent shudder as she bit her lip hard enough to make it bleed. "H-he's dead!"


	2. In Need of Purpose

Chapter 1 ~In Need of Purpose~

Akito was having a bad day. Actually, he was having a bad week, month, year... life. Everything was terrible all the time but this particular week was one the worst by far.

It had been two days since that woman... no, girl came to confront him. Two long days of confusion and headaches. Two painful, agonizing days of nothing going how it was supposed to. The world seemed to have shattered on it's axis and Akito had no clue how he was supposed to start putting it back together again. He wanted to be angry, he wanted to hurt people in every way he could, but he also just wanted to be alone with the numbness that had taken residence within him. He had avoided Hatori the best he could because he didn't want to see the dragon at all. It didn't matter if a check up would get him some new meds for the pain he was in, the deity didn't want contact from anyone. So he wandered, he hid and he slunk away from the living, because he couldn't bare it until he pieced his world back together again.

That girl... that insignificant, pointless, brainless, awful, ugly girl had traipsed into his domain, turned it upside down, and wandered back out. He hadn't even really done anything to her! Comparatively speaking. He had treated many people far worse than he ever did her, in fact in his mind he had been down right generous. Yet in a single conversation she had torn down his carefully crafted walls. Walls designed to hold his reality in some form of stability and to keep those he cherished inside them. Who was she to do these things? Why?

It wasn't fair, but as he well knew, life never was.

He continued to stare blindly outside the room he had picked to hide in today. It was small and bare, a spare room really on the outskirts of the main quarters. It was a place that he wouldn't be caught dead in, so naturally it was the perfect spot to sequester himself away with his thoughts. He laid his head on his arm as he hung off the window, the light breeze causing his black locks to sway. Summer was almost here and that would mean heat and terribly bright sunlight. God he hated summer. He also bet that she loved it. It fit perfectly. Disgustingly warm and bright whether you want it or not. No clouds to block out the merciless sun. He could see her skipping happily through flowery fields, his zodiac in tow as they followed her into the brightness that he couldn't even stand to look at.

 _"When you pass away, we'll be sad."_

Akito snarled as her voice crept into his mind. He couldn't even sleep these past couple of days because her voice was always there, replaying in his mind. She had to be some kind of enchantress, some wicked witch who had cursed him to replay that day. As if he needed another curse.

 _"Akito, you're alive right now... arn't you?"_

He gripped onto the sides of his skull, his sharp nails digging into his scalp. The sound of her voice as she looked up at him. Crying.

 _"I'm happy that I know you."_

Why? Why was she crying?

 _"I don't regret meeting you."_

She was crying for him. She was sad for him because he couldn't be. No that wasn't true. He felt, he felt everything. All his emotions constantly hammered him into submission till all he could do was feel numbness in it's place.

 _"I wanna know you, please tell me how you feel."_

 _Why?_ Why would she want to know him? She had to know how he treated everyone, what he was, what he did. No one wanted to know him, no one wanted to know what he was feeling. They just wanted to leech off of him, preserve their own life force as he couldn't. They didn't care about him, those who did lied.

So then why was she crying? She had looked at him with such concern that he had never seen directed at himself. Akito couldn't bring any part of his being to believe that what she had been saying was true. He couldn't bring himself to believe that somehow, in all of the world, the one person who would possibly want him was there. She was within reach, holding out her hand to him. He just had to take it.

 _Why had I let her go?_

 _"The important thing is, right now... you're alive."_

"I don't know..." He had said. Those were the only words he could offer. Those were still the only words that came to him. He hadn't even realized he had said it out loud once again. The thing was, he didn't know. He didn't know what to say, what to feel, what to do. It was just an endless blank slate of confusion. The walls were down, his mask thrown off and his true being exposed.

All he had was questions and no answers. He was wandering listless, not just in reality but in his mind as well. She had broken him in a way few others had so thoroughly accomplished and he couldn't help but wonder if she had done it on purpose. If she was at that house with Shigure and the others, knowing full well just how completely she shattered him.

He could see it now, she was chatting happily at lunch with his rat, the monster and the mutt about how Akito didn't do anything to her. Bragging that she had managed to best him and that no one had to worry. She was their savior, just rely on her and all will be well. Disgusting, lying little…

The image of her looking up at him through tear filled eyes shot through his mind and he wanted to bang his head against the wall. Why? Every time he felt like he could get worked up enough to be angry (as he should be!) he would see her face and hear her voice. She just looked so genuine, despite him yanking her hair, hurling threats and insults, she looked up at him with pleading in her eyes. Not for him to stop but for understanding. She _wanted_ to understand him, to know him. At this point he wasn't sure if he wanted to accept her offer and hoard all the love and affection she gave to himself, or to punish her for ruining his life and family.

 _Why not both?_

That thought hit him like lightning and he immediately stood up, blinking at the same scene he had been watching for the last hour. His animals were constantly showered with love and affection, why should he be the only one not to get anything? He could take her, he was sure he could find ways to punish her if he kept her nearby, not to mention that it would punish his zodiac too. Seeing her giving him the attention he deserved more than anyone else and bending to his will. Why, it would simply tear them apart from the inside out.

He took a deep breath, the not yet sweltering air filling his lungs and for the first in a while it didn't make him want to hack it all back out. Was this is solution? Was this one of the answers his mind had been desperately trying to find? At this point even one answer was enough to restore some of his lost vitality. He was no longer groping around in the dark now that he had a possible life line, and he was hanging on for dear sanity.

It was odd, finding a sense of purpose after being so long without. Well, perhaps not purpose but a goal. Something obtainable, tangible. If he could pull this off, they would all suffer his vengence and Akito would be left with the prize they all sought. The brown haired, blue eyed teenager who had ensorcelled his whole family.

The coils of lethargy that had chained him to his current depression loosened and he felt the spark of his old self come back. The numbness fizzled out and he was once again free to feel. Anger, glee, sadness, and motivation all tumbled together in a maddening ball, but he was used to that. It was more or less normal for him. Now all he had to do was plan out how he would go about this. Akito could always just order her back, but he knew that the rat and the cat would follow and get into mischief. They were always prone to such things, it was in their nature after all. No, he would have to be more cunning, more sly in placing this... trap. Thinking it out as a game caused a smirk to cross his face, yes a game indeed. How long had it been since he had someone fun to play with?

 _Knock, Knock, Knock._

Akito jumped as he heard the thudding sounds against the door. His train of thought had just been derailed and he was once again irritable. At least without the gnawing numbness he had, Akito's mind found it easier to reorganize itself and he moved to the door. Unlocking it, the deity let out a growl for he didn't except to be caught so easily, before stepping back. He had a guess of who it was, after all it made sense that he would be able to track the wayward god down now that the immediate mental crisis was over.

Sure enough, Kureno Sohma swung open the door and glanced at his master, relief evident in his eyes. He wouldn't say it out loud, unless ordered to, but he had been worried about Akito since that day. Normally he would have thrown a fit or stayed in bed but this wandering was new. The good doctor was close to calling an all out search party for the young man to make sure he hadn't run off to die in the woods.

It was by luck that Kureno had been searching for the deity when he spotted the boy hanging out of the window, looking forlorn and miserable. That Akito however was not the same one that stood before him now. Hell, the rooster hadn't even expected the boy to open the door for him, yet here he stood as if nothing had changed. That spark of irritation was present in his eye and the loyal bird couldn't help but relax a bit, the tension fleeing from his shoulders.

"What?" Akito bit out as he watched the red head gawk at him for a moment. Was it truly so bad that he just disappeared for two days? Did everything fall apart? Actually that would be amusing to see now that he thought about it. The rooster shook his head as if clearing it and glanced down at the papers he was holding.

"You told me to tell you if any persons on _that_ list were trying to contact the estate." He bowed faithfully, holding out the documents to the now wide eyed god.

He snatched the parchment away and skimmed over it quickly before another grin split his face. Perhaps the fates decided to send him something to help after all. The smile that graced his lips wasn't a nice one, in fact it made him almost look manic and he loved it. He loved the feelings running through him again. It looked like he just got a new little distraction to play with in the meanwhile. It would be something to do at least until he officially sorted out just what exactly to do with one miss Tohru Honda.

0o0

Kureno was in a rather large office towards the front of the compound earlier that morning doing more work than normal because their wayward head had decided to disappear. It was normal for the rooster to do more of the mundane tasks, especially if they concerned the larger part of the family that excluded the zodiac. The problem was that with Akito AWOL, he had to deal with all the problems, that included the multitude of problems within the cursed circle. Detentions from school, accidental transformations, and sickness's from any number of the motley bunch that made up the zodiac. That on top of normal legal allegations, permissions for moving and business's around the rest of the sprawling family made for one very caffeinated and barely holding it together rooster. As much as people didn't want to admit it, Akito did make things run. It didn't help that he was also the one who made up quiet a few new rules, but they were in place and they needed to be upheld.

Sighing as he took another swig of coffee, he looked over the harsh computer screens. His passive mask was still in place but it was barely holding on, the stress of the job was one thing but the worry for his master was another. Just where had that boy wondered off to? He had heard about what happened that morning two days ago from Hatori and was just as shocked as the dragon. He really needed to get around to meeting that girl, Tohru Honda.

His thoughts were inturrupted by the shrill alarm of the phone going off which he swiftly picked up with practiced ease.

"This is the Sohma estate, speak your business." He sounded into the receiver in his usual monotone. He had no doubt that some people wondered if he was a recording rather than a real person.

The person on the other end seemed to be breathing heavily and unable to make up their mind. Thinking that it was possibly a prank Kureno moved to set the phone back down when a female voice finally got the nerve to reply back to him.

 _"Hello..."_ The voice was soft and sounded unsure and Kureno couldn't help but glance over towards the parchment he had tapped to one of the cabinets. The only thing on that list was a set of names, very special names at that. Very few called without purpose and even fewer were this edgy unless they knew what was going to happen by calling. The only ones that were...

 _"This is Natsume Higurashi... However that's the name that I took after I married, my birth name is Taeko Sohma."_

Were part of the family.


	3. The Desperate

Chapter 2 ~The Desperate~

Ms. Higurashi didn't know if she was doing the right thing by calling. She was clutching the phone so tight it was in danger of breaking. Her breathing was scarce but after last night she had made up her mind. It had been over a year since Kagome had returned for good and her mental status hadn't improved much. She had become almost catatonic for the first couple months, to the point where she decided to defer the rest of the school year. None of them had been able to get her to talk about what happened, they only knew what Kagome had cried to them that first day. Inuyasha was dead, and the well would never open again.

Surprisingly this news hit everyone in the family hard. Despite them all knowing the possibility of Kagome staying away they had all grown fond of the half demon. Souta looked up to him like an older brother, and their grandfather knew that the hound demon would protect his granddaughter with his life. They just never thought it would truly come to that.

Over the months, Kagome slowly started to improve outwardly. She would register their presence and even talk once in a while. However, she was also prone to snapping at nothing. It was hard knowing what would set her off but the doctors had attributed it to some form of PTSD. Without knowing the exact incident that plagued her they couldn't be certain so everyone tried their best to keep her from falling back into her memories. It was taking its toll on everyone, especially after she snapped at her friends, calling them demons and chasing them off the property. The girls would come around every so often but they couldn't help acting as if Kagome was some wild animal now.

The doctors said it would take time, lots of it, but the family was beginning to think that their home was no longer the best place for her to be. It held too many memories, so many times Kagome had been caught bawling in front of the sacred tree, desperately praying for it to take her back.

Last night however was the worst and Ms. Higurashi just didn't know if she could handle another episode like that. At three in the morning she had heard some noises outside and found it to be Kagome half naked in the well, almost fully packed with suitcases and her backpack. She had a shoddily crafted bow slung over her shoulder and she was using a shovel to dig deeper into the well. She was muttering things to herself that her mother just couldn't make sense of as she continued to dig deeper and deeper into the earth. If she hadn't been caught when she did they didn't know if they would have been able to get her out of there.

That didn't mean it was easy, when they tried to call to her she began to panic and started firing off arrows, claiming that she wasn't afraid to smite them. She began to dig faster and just as they lowered a ladder to her, the ground crumbled beneath Kagomes feet and revealed an underground water way. Ms. Higurashi had almost lost her daughter last night, she was out of options. She had said she would never go back, especially after her husbands death, she made sure that their children wouldn't be damned with that last name. She had taken such care as to never be traced but there was nothing left, no where else to go. The shrine was all they had without turning to her side of the family.

She hadn't spoken to her parents in ages, not since she ran off with her husband in fact. It was sad that she couldn't contact them, she didn't know how but she did know who would. The main estate held the files of every member of the family and everything about them from where they lived and worked to what their music prefernce was. It was a suffocating system but that family... _her family_ was very large and very powerful.

That morning, after making sure she dropped off Kagome at the psychiatrists, Souta was at school and Grandpa was tending to the visitors, the mother stole away into her room to make a call. It took everything she had to convince herself it would be okay. The head of the family wouldn't get too involved with matters such as this... hopefully. It hadn't been so bad with the previous one, but he had died too soon, allowing a rather unstable woman to run things. It wasn't until their child had grown into a teenager however that she realized she had to take more drastic measures or be caught in the rules that bound her name to the man who had taken over.

She waited anxiously on the phone after having said her name, waiting for a reaction from the robotic tone that had answered her.

 _"Taeko Sohma,"_ The voice stated slowly, as if asking for confirmation. She gave an affirmative and heard the clacking of a few keys. She worked on steadying her breathing as she looked around the room. She was just telling herself that she was being paranoid. Sure there were going to be some rules in place if she wanted to help Kagome but they weren't going to be anything worse than what she was going through now. As long as her daughter could find a place to get over her grief and find the strength to move on, it would be worth it.

 _"It looks like you disappeared for a while. What is the nature of you're call today?"_ Her breath hitched a moment before she forced herself to calm down. This was going well, it's normal for anyone to comment on that, after all. When a family member goes missing, even one from a clan as big as the Sohma's, it's natural. Still, she couldn't help but feel herself bristle at the way he said it, as if it was inevitable that she would turn up again.

"I am calling for my daughter," She started, forcing her shoulders to relax. "She had a very traumatic experience about a year ago and she hasn't been able to get better. The place we are living at currently is no longer good for her and keeps her from recovering. I'm asking if there is way for her to stay with someone from my family, preferably my parents." There was a pause as a few more keys were tapped.

 _"I'm afraid Taeko, that your mother and father are deceased. Your mother seems to have passed about a year after you disappeared and your father soon after."_ The monotone had only the slightest hint of sorrow and it made her shudder. What kind of man could speak so passively about death?

She was also in slight shock at hearing that her parents were no long alive. While it was true that they were strict, they were also loving and healthy people. How had they... The mother had to stop herself from where her thoughts were headed or she wouldn't be able to finish this conversation. Even with her parents dead, as hard as a blow as that was, she had to find a way to get Kagome to anywhere else. She took a few deep breaths.

"What about a cousin of her's or mine? Anyone close would do." She said, trying not to sound like she was begging, but she was getting more desperate by the minute. There was a long silence on the other end of the line before a seemingly uncharacteristic sigh was heard.

 _"You would have to ask the head of the family first."_ And just like that she thought her heart had stopped. _"If you still wish to ask for assistance you will need to send over your daughters medical files and records of what has been going on for the years that you have been gone. I will report to Akito and he will make a final decision."_

Stunned, jaw dropped and breathing ragged, all Mrs. Higurashi could do was stare at the opposite wall. This was it, she knew why those records were wanted, the medical files too. They were going to put her back on the radar, her whole family. She swallowed hard as she looked down at her shaking hands. At least this time the man on the other end of the line seemed to understand the weight of this. He was silent, waiting for an answer. Truth was she didn't want Kagome anywhere near the head of the family. Not in her condition and not with her attitude. She was so free spirited, spoke her mind and didn't mind getting her hands dirty. She would easily be picked out because of that. Such life didn't belong within that family any more.

But what life would Kagome have if she stayed? She had nearly died last night. Hell that wasn't even the first time she'd been out because she had obtained a tendency to sleep walk. She could easily wander into the street, or she might just jump back into the rushing well in an attempt to be back with her beloved Inuyasha. No, she had to do this. For Kagome.

"I understand..." _For Kagome._ "I'll send over what you asked for."

 _"We'll get back to you when we can. Here's the fax number, and the E-mail address."_ As she jotted down the information she hung her head in defeat.

 _For Kagome._

0o0

School was boring no matter where you went. It didn't matter who you were or where you were from, school sucked. So it was no wonder that in a small classroom high above the grounds, an orange headed teen kept dozing off. The teacher lectured on about… something? Did it matter? Not to the cat of the zodiac. In fact very little mattered to him at all at the moment. He had a deadline to meet and honestly what was the point of even going to school if he was just going to get locked up? He was in a rather melancholy mood today and it wasn't just that he didn't get enough sleep. Well that was part of it but _that_ was all that bastard Akito's fault. No, Kyo was suffering from a variety of emotional problems.

The ginger turned his head that was resting on his arms so he could look at the girl next to him. Tohru was diligently taking notes, while trying to look like she understood what was happening and completely oblivious to his analysis. She was a wonder that one. Kyo really wished he'd been there for her confrontation with the man who held all their lives. He heard she was magnificent, so much so that the feared god had backed down. What he would have given to see that.

What chaffed more however was the fact that he hadn't been there to protect her. He wanted to be so bad.

The small girl, no… _woman_ , who was kind and beautiful was all the cat felt that he had in the world. She had accepted him when no one else would, wanted him even after seeing his true form. Every time he looked at her he couldn't help but feel some form of awe. Perhaps even… love.

It wasn't for the first time that Kyo wondered if perhaps she was thing he could beat the damn rat at. To get her love, to have a deeper relationship with her while they were both vying for it would be something special. Not just a victory over the rat and his family but for himself. She loved him yes, he was sure but the validation of that kind of relationship from her... Well he would do anything for it.

As he watched he could help feeling the painful squelch in his heart. How did she feel about him? Did she understand just what she did to him? He wanted her so bad it was painful but he just could bring himself to make a move. He knew he should, he knew there were opportunities for it. Every night for the past few days she had been waking up early. Tohru of course, being herself, hid it behind a smile and greetings but even if he hadn't been awake to hear her crying at night it was obvious. There were bags under her eyes and she looked to be fighting to stay awake. They all had a guess why. They were all waiting in anxious silence for the gavel to fall. For the dream to end. They didn't dare speak of what might happen in the near future so they went about their days like always. They hadn't told her what Akito might do but she could sense their unease, he was certain.

Kyo was frustrated and angry and he was stuck here! At this stupid school, unable to help the girl he loved, unable to help himself and unable to even get a goddamn nap. Maybe if he got a decent rest he would be able to figure out what he needed to do. He could only hope it was that easy because right now he didn't know.

He had no answers so he did nothing, just watched as he always did. Watched as life passed him by and the ticking clock sounded out the seconds to his incarceration.


	4. Pay the Piper

Chapter 3 ~Pay the Piper~

The afternoon was warmer than the morning, the cool spring air being replaced by balmy summer tones. The sun was still high in the sky and Akito silently wondered just why he couldn't destroy the thing. The bright star constantly taunted him with it's warmth and light, giving him headaches and possible heat exhaustion. At least he hadn't managed to catch something while away, he had even waved off Hatori when Akito was found the day before. He would call for the dragon when he was ready and not any sooner.

With a sigh he looked back at the table which had several folders on it, turns out him taking a few days off left him with quiet a few decisions to make. While he loved the power and the final say, it was tedious sometimes. Half of this he was just going to pass of to Kureno anyway and tell him to deal with it. He honestly couldn't care less about some of ridiculous things his family was doing. It was why he made certain rules to keep everyone in line and running smoothly without him needing to be bothered by half of it.

Speaking of rules...

The folder on the floor next to him was the only interesting thing so far. Not because of the contents but because of where it came from. He didn't like his family leaving, while he wasn't in touch with over half of the people who bore his name they were still his. Any unfortunate soul who had the last name of 'Sohma' belonged to him, cursed or not. Which of course meant that he was going to keep them. One such little girl had run away. Well, not so little anymore. A full grown woman now, with children too! Oh she had been rather smart about hiding but she didn't take into account the fact that she might need her family some day. So like a scared child she came crawling back, asking for a favor. It was a simple thing he supposed as he moved the folder onto the table and took a sip of his tea.

Within was, first, the records of herself, Taeko Sohma and what she had been doing all these years without supervision. He had to hand it to her she had to be desperate. There was far more information in there than the others who came crawling back to him provided. Finally he got to the request which Kureno had written down in his hasty scrawl. A place for her daughter to stay. He casually tapped his nails on the parchment a moment before moving it aside to see the rather thick medical documentation on the girl. Kagome Higurashi. Akito couldn't help but twitch slightly, he really didn't like not having legal claim to things that were his by right.

A girl with long raven hair and deep brown eyes looked up at him from the photo. He scanned over the first few pages before he got bored. He would just have Hatori read the medical jargon and relay it to him in far less time. As he flipped through he expected her medical history to end, after all she seemed like a rather healthy 16 year old from her photo, but no. It kept going. He quirked a brow as he got to, what he could only describe as a plethora of memo's and slips from her school for absences and as he read through his eyes couldn't help but widen. According to these, the girl had to have contracted at least one terminal illness a month, not to mention almost every other disease known to man in between. Hell from what he was read she was sicker than he was! If that was the case it was no wonder Taeko wanted her daughter to leave, something must have been setting off the sickness.

Yet that wasn't it, he continued to page through and it all just felt wrong. He returned to the picture of her smiling up at him and frowned. No, there was something else going on here. She looked beyond healthy, if she had even a fourth of the diseases this file claimed then she would look worse than him. It didn't help that all of these notes only appeared throughout her middle school years. There was no way in hell it was true, which meant that they were lying. Or trying to cover up something...

There was a timid knock on his door and he couldn't help but take his irritation out on the poor soul who happened upon him.

"What!" He snapped as the door opened to reveal a rather shy maid. He pinned her with an annoyed stare as his fingers dug into the papers underneath. She bowed quickly, knowing that she had caught him at a bad time.

"I was just wondering if you needed anything else Master Akito..." She muttered so quietly he barely heard her. He gave a sneer and was about to tell her off when his eyes caught the files again. A funny thought hit him then of Hatori's expression while reading it. Well, he would need his dragon to understand what was going on anyway.

"Go get me Hatori," He said insultingly slowly, as if she was a simpled minded twit. She flinched as he waved a dismissive hand and she feld, closing the door behind her. Akito merely shook his head as he gazed back down at Kagome's photo. He didn't like it when his family was keeping secrets from him, but it could be interesting. Besides, he would have plenty of time to grill her for information, he thought with a wicked glint in his eye.

And who knows? Perhaps she could become very useful to him.

0o0

Calming ones nerves always came down to preference, some people liked to take baths, some people liked to listen to music, and some people needed a good helping of nicotine. The dragon of the zodiac was one of the latter. He had already gone through a pack the day before when it was discovered that Akito was not only avoiding him, but everyone as well. As much as he couldn't blame the young god for shutting down to some degree after the confrontation, the disappearing act was far more than his nerves could handle. Kureno had come to tell him the second Akito had been found, alive and not dying of some new fever or illness that had latch itself onto his decaying immune system. For that, Hatori was glad. Of course this now meant however that he would have to question Akito on his whereabouts and receive less than stellar responses and do a thorough check up to make sure that he hadn't gone and damage himself unintentionally in some way.

This was why he was outside, smoking and taking a break. He knew that the second he got back inside he was going to have to deal with a most likely grumpy god and that was just not something he could handle while his nerves were still frayed.

Unwittingly Hatori's thoughts drifted back to that confrontation and just how impressed he was with Tohru. He had been so stunned as she spoke words that none of them had ever heard before. It was so sincere and he knew that she meant every word she had said. It was strange how she somehow had the ability to reach even the darkest of hearts. How had they managed to deserve such a precious gift? This of course had everyone on edge though, for Akito did... nothing. It was so unlike him that everyone who had been present that day was just waiting for the other shoe to drop. None of them were under the delusion that their master would let the poor girl get away with what she said, either he'd punish her or take her away. They all kept this to themselves however, not telling Tohru. It was for the best to let her have her time with everyone in case it all came crashing down.

Hatori was especially worried by this reaction. He had expected a fit, a riot, a tantrum but what he received was nothing. If anything it riled him up more because it meant... well it meant that Akito was thinking about what she had said to him. The conclusion drawn from that would either save them or damn them. As for Tohru, well, their god was a greedy selfish one who would gladly take any ounce of love she offered him, and more.

After another drag on his cigarette he put it out in a nearby ashtray and walked back inside, now was as good a time as any he supposed to find out the final verdict.

As he got inside a maid ran up to him seemingly out of breath and he knew he had been summoned. She tried to catch her breath before looking at him and he put up a hand.

"I assume Akito want's to see me?" He asked lightly. His monotone wasn't as accomplished as Kureno's but it didn't need to be. As a doctor he needed a level of warmth to his voice to help calm his patients. The maid merely nodded at him and he moved into his office to grab what he would need. Hopefully the young god was in a good mood, but he highly doubted it.

As he took off down the hall, medical tools and meds in tow, he couldn't help feeling anxious. As he got to one of Akito's rooms he knocked, waiting for the sign to enter before he moved into the room. He wasn't sure what he was expecting when he opened the door but the head of the family sitting calmly at a table with quiet a few piled folders was not it. Not a single paper was even on the floor or strewn about. This did not help the dragons anxiety one bit.

"Akito, good to see you back." He started as he moved closer to his god as perhaps a slower pace than he had intended.

"You don't have to pretend you're happy to see me Hatori." Akito snipped at him which finally caused the cursed doctor to relax. That was more like it.

"Very well," He gave in, simply glad that the boy seemed alright. He didn't feel like arguing if Akito didn't. However that might not have been the best thing to say as the deity's hands twitched as irritation flashed in his eyes. Still he moved closer so that he was kneeling by the sitting god, removing his stethoscope from around his neck. "Let's get you checked out, you haven't taken any medication in two days and I need to know-"

"Not now Hatori!" Akito finally broke, interrupting the doctor as he pushed the larger man away from him. Surprised by his actions, the dragon raised his hands in surrender. If his nerves weren't still so frazzled he would have been more collected, but as it stood he just wasn't sure how stable Akito was.

"Alright, what do you need then?" The dragon finally asked, breaking eye contact with the agitated head of the family. Much to his surprise an open folder was tossed in front of him and he blinked at it, realizing it was a medical report of some kind.

"Go through that report and tell me what it says, preferably some time today." Akito crossed his arms as he stood up and moved towards the open veranda to lounge on the wooden floor. Hatori knew it was a command and sighed, picking up the report and examining the claw marks that dug into the pages. With a frown he read the name of the patient, Kagome Higurashi. Why was Akito busying himself with this?

It didn't much matter, his master wanted this done so he must obey. His eye scanned the notes as he flipped through the pages. Apparently this girl had been taken to the hospital around a year ago for various problems, chief among them however being some form of PTSD and mental psychosis resulting in self harm. As he continued to read the report, the dragons brow increasingly furrowed. The initial wounds she was admitted with were inconsistent with the location she was in and she still hasn't explained where she was or what had happened to her.

He had to pause a moment and glance at Akito who was busy shooing away a bird that was trying to perch upon him. Just what was going on here?

Returning his gaze to the papers, he skimmed the last few pages that basically reiterated how most of the damage done had to have been self inflicted caused by a mental break down of some kind that left her a wreck. What triggered the mental break down however is still unknown for sure, but their best guess was the death of her boyfriend.

Frowning the dragon got up and moved into the warm outside. He waited a moment for Akito to register his presence before he knelt beside the younger man.

"So what's wrong with her?" Akito asked, not bothering to glance at the doctor as he played with the white little bird that apparently refused to leave him be.

"It looks like she was admitted into the hospital about a year ago with some serious damage to her body. The report however says that they believe it to be mostly self inflicted due to a severe mental break down." The doctor obediently responded, trying his best to keep the information concise.

"Oh?" The god asked, sitting up and knocking the twittering animal away with the back of his hand. "And what about her other conditions?"

Other conditions? Hatori glanced back over the document, flipping through it and finding nothing until he flipped too far and found the notes from school. Desperately the dragon tried to hide the look of shock on his face as he read over the hundreds of written excuses for missing class. Everything from life ending virus's to hereditary diseases that would have left her worse off than Akito.

He glanced at the being he was thinking about and noticed an amused smile cross the boys face. Immediately Hatori threw his mental shields up and shook himself of his shock, obviously these notes were fabrications and lies so that a girl would not have to go to school. He told Akito as much and watch as the young mans eyes were shielded with his long bangs. It was a long couple of moments before Akito finally spoke back up again.

"I suppose you're wondering why I'm even bothering with this." The voice was sweet and light, which immediately meant that Hatori was treading in dangerous waters.

"It crossed my mind." The dragon replied slowly. A small chuckle came from the young god as he reached over and flipped the file to the front, showing a much older woman, Taeko Sohma.

"One of the birds is trying to fly back to the nest. She's asked for sanctuary for her daughter and I can't help but wonder..." Akito said allowed, putting a finger to his chin in a mock thinking pose. "What would be so terrible that a woman who ran, and did a rather impressive job at hiding, would come crawling back."

Now the doctor understood and he immediately felt bad for the poor girl whose file ended up in Akito's hands. It was apparent to any who had been around the god for even a small length of time that he was fiercely possessive. He hopped her mental state wasn't nearly as bad as they made it sound, she wouldn't survive long here if it was.

"So what's your decision then?" Hatori asked, dreading the answer. It was bad enough that Tohru was catching the gods eye, having another young woman nearby wouldn't help matters much.

"Hmm..." Akito made a sound of pondering before he reached over and firmly grasped the doctors jacket pulling him close. "You, my dear Hatori."

The dragon only blinked in confusion, not allowing anything to show past his professional mask. The young god chuckled, shaking his head as he leaned up to whisper into the dragons ear, perfectly content at making the older man uncomfortable.

"I don't trust any of those other doctors, so I want you to go do a full examination on her. You'll call me with you're report and I'll make a final decision." Akito clarified as he moved away from one of his zodiac, standing up in a strangely fluid motion and walked back into his room. When Hatori didn't follow him he turned around and barked irritably, "Well? Are you just going to sit there or are you going to make sure I'm not dying anytime soon?"

With that the dragon eagerly jumped into the normal routine, glad to put away the confusing thoughts that were plaguing him for the moment. Yet as he worked he couldn't help but worry, Akito didn't even mention the young girl who had confronted him, and that was either a blessing being given or a curse about to be unleashed.


	5. It's Fine, I'm Fine, We're Fine

(Disclaimer: Some of the descriptions and reasoning in this chapter is from Kagome's point of view and not the actual truth in the story. If something is said that contradicts something that was written or sounds hypocritical, it's because Kagome is well... a hormonal, mentally unstable teenager.)

Chapter 4 ~It's Fine, I'm Fine, We're Fine~

Kagome sighed as she stepped into the house, she really wished everyone would stop treating her like glass. While it was true that she had a couple of incidents... okay maybe more than a couple, they didn't have to act like she was a ticking time bomb!

Suffice it to say, Kagome Higurashi was one very distraught teenager. Her family always side stepped her, her friends were rarely showing up, she couldn't go to school because the doctors didn't know what the hell they were talking about. It was just one big mess, at least in her mind. The priestess just couldn't understand what everyone was getting so worked up about, it's not like she had killed anyone.

Of course, her thoughts drifted back to two nights ago when she had apparently been fervently digging in the well and nearly drowned herself. Honestly she didn't remember that happening, but she did remember a dream... vaguely. Shaking her head she looked around, hoping that lunch was ready when she noticed her mother sitting on the couch, looking forlorn. Kagome frowned, her mother hadn't been acting right since yesterday. Guilt suddenly washed over the teen as she realized that maybe that nights event was far worse than she had thought. While she didn't remember much of it or in fact much of anything about her episodes she had seen how it had affected her family. Her brother was always hesitant about coming close, her grandfather stopped telling some of his more outlandish stories (though she secretly wished that he would) and her mother seemed to be slowly slipping into melancholy. Carefully she approached her distraught mother hands held out.

"Mom? Are you okay?" Kagome asked as she sat down on the couch next to the older woman. Her mother didn't respond but as the priestess looked her over, she noticed the woman's hand clasped tightly together and shaking. Quickly she scooped up the surprisingly cold hands in her own, causing the woman to jump.

"Huh? Oh! Kagome, you're home." Her mother said, a forced smile crossing her face.

"Momma, what's wrong?" Kagome had never seen her mother act like this. Worry started to creep into her heart as she ignored the walls twitching slightly.

"Oh Kagome..." Ms. Higurashi really didn't mean to falter in her speech, she had to tell her daughter. "I wanted to ask for a second opinion on your condition so a new doctor is coming over to check you out."

Kagome merely rolled her eyes, that night must of really made them all think she was suicidal as well. She wasn't. Sure she couldn't help sleep walking but they could just lock the door, she didn't need to see another doctor and she told her mother as much who just shook her head, saying that she couldn't stop it now. Frowning the teen looked away, something was weird here, her mother was hiding something but what? She didn't need any more doctors, she didn't need any more- her thoughts stopped abruptly when she noticed a little black thing crawling on the dining room table. Her breathing turned shallow as she watched the vile little thing moved slowly across the counter, stopping every so often as if trying to pretend it wasn't there.

"Kagome?" She heard her voice and turned to her mother only to see... Sango? The beautiful demon slayer looked at her with concern in her wide eyes. Tears threatened to spill as the woman who she considered a sister gazed at her. It's not her. It's not. Focus on the spider. She told herself as her gazed moved beyond the grassy field to the dining room table where the little spider was wondering. Her head whipped around as she thought she heard laughing, the only laugh that made her blood chill. Her breathing increased as she tried to block it out, turning her attention back to the disgusting creature that had wondered in. Sango put a hand on her shoulder, it was soft and warm, when that girl was around she truly felt like she was with her family.

"Kagome, what's wrong?" How could she not sense it? The demon slayer should have been the first to guess he was around and where was... Where was Inu-? She put a hand up to her head as the words of her psychiatrist penetrated through the delusion.

 _"It's not real, what you're seeing isn't real. They arn't with you anymore, you're home."_

She was home. Home...

Home was where Inuyasha was, where Shippo was. Home was where all her friends were but, her friends...

Kagome's gaze flickered to Sango a moment and she held back a cry as she saw the bloody wound she sported on her battle attire. It wasn't real. Flashes of Miroku on the ground entered her mind and she shook it away. A flash of red and silver caught her eye and she just couldn't see him, couldn't think of him! _JUST FOCUS ON THE SPIDER!_ She screamed in her mind and before she knew it she was smashing her fist down on the table. It trembled a moment but stayed up, she could feel the juices under her hand as it's legs twitched. The spider was no more.

She looked around a moment, satisfied to see that the grassy field was gone, replaced with her home in the present time. She lifted her hand and frowned at the mess, she would clean it up later, right now she needed a shower. She bid her mother farewell as she cradled her hand and wondered up stairs. Ms. Higurashi could only stare at the spot that her daughter had reacted to on the table. There was nothing there.

0o0

The good doctor made his way up the shrine steps, still trying to figure out how he ended up here. Well, Akito told him to be there, but the question still was why. None of the reasons given or thought of we're enough to explain away how odd this was. While it was true that he was an excellent doctor in his own right and treated many people in the family, this whole situation still didn't seem right. Finally he reached the courtyard and had to admit that he was impressed. He knew that this place was only run by the family but it looked well kept and very clean.

As Hatori glanced around, he noticed the signage which lead him in several directions before finally coming upon a massive tree that easily reached for the sky. It was truly a magnificent tree, especially for being in the middle of a busy city. Just beyond he noticed a small two floor modern house and assumed that was what he was looking for. Putting on his most professional look, he gripped his bag and moved to knock on the door. After a moment and a small commotion, which he was choosing to ignore, the door swung open to reveal a raven haired teen whom he recognized from the photos.

"Souta! I told you, you can't come wi-" her sentence died mid word as her gaze trailed up the taller man. When they made eye contact he did his best to remain neutral as she blinked at him. Then, oddly enough her gaze shifted to just above and to either side of his face. He cleared his throat and watched as she shook her head and put her hands on her hips.

"You must be that new doctor mom told me about." She asked and he opened his mouth to give an affirmative and an introduction when she quickly shook her head. "I don't need another doctor, I just need everyone to chill out and give me some space!"

The dragon couldn't help the rock that dropped in his stomach. He really didn't need another one of _these_.

"May I speak with your mother?" He asked politely, really not wanting her to slam the door on him. While he did just want to turn around, it would incur his god's wrath so he would handle the stubborn teen the best he could.

Kagome looked at him dubiously, like he was a vampire asking permission to enter and not just a doctor. With a sigh she nodded and waved him in. As Hatori entered he noticed several things, chief among them being the multitude of photos littering the walls. They depicted what he could only guess was the family together, yet sometimes an odd youth appeared. The young man appeared to be in the background if he was in a photo at all and if the dragons eye wasn't playing tricks on him, it looked like he had silver hair. Frowning he looked at the pictures a while longer before he heard someone come into the living room.

The short haired, middle aged woman he also recognized from the photos. This was Taeko Sohma, one of the few that had run away. Before he spoke he had to remind himself to call her by her preferred name and not her birth name which had been present on the research.

"Ms. Higurashi" he bowed slightly and she gave him an uneasy smile. He raised a brow as she took a steadying breath and finally met his eye. "My name is Hatori, I am the doctor Akito sent to check on your daughter."

"I figured as much, nice to meet you." She said in a soothing voice. "I apologize if Kagome is a little moody today. She and her brother had a bit of a fight today."

"I assure you it's quite alright, I am used to dealing with difficult patients." He meant to lighten the mood a bit, but that seemed to backfire as the shorter woman winced. He had to admit that the comment had come out a bit dry. "I know she's been seeing a psychiatrist regularly, has she already been today?"

"No," The woman shook her head. "She wasn't scheduled for today. Why?"

"If she already had a discussion about her mental health today, then I highly doubt that she would welcome a second one." The dragon explained as he watched the girl in question rush back down the stairs she had disappeared up, only stopping to pet the cat that was perched on the banister.

"Oh, I understand," Ms. Higurashi's smile was genuine this time before she called her daughter over. Kagome once again looked the doctor over with a suspicious eye as she edged closer towards her mother. The action looked almost protective which baffled him, but he made no comment on it. "Kagome, this is Hatori. Please let him do his job, we just want you to get better."

Kagome had a hard time taking her eyes off of the doctor but when her eyes finally flickered to her mother's they filled with guilt and sadness. The teens shoulders slumped slightly and she lifted a hand and put it on her mother's shoulder. It was such a ginger action and seemed uncharacteristic for the young woman.

"I'm sorry Mom," she muttered before looking back at the doctor, eyes sharpening. "Alright then, let's get this over with."

Hatori motioned her over to the couch while Ms. Higurashi moved to the kitchen to do the mornings sat rigidly on the sofa as the doctor followed, taking out all the necessities for a casual check up. The entire time the teen was watching him like a hawk, it was almost unnerving how intense her gaze was. Putting the stethoscope in his ears he moved the other end towards her chest when she froze, staring at it like a snake about to devour her.

"Miss Kagome," He said softly and her eyes moved to his, "I just want to check your lungs and your heart rate."

She gave a stiff nod and he listened to her breath a moment before moving to her back. her air ways sounded fine, better than fine in fact, they seemed clear and healthy. Her heart beat had no irregularities other thing being a bit fast but considering how tense she was he already took that into consideration. He took the instrument out of his ears and looked the young woman over. The pallor of her skin, while a little pale wasn't sickly looking, her pupils weren't dilated and she seemed alert. Perhaps everything _was_ just in her mind? Other than her initial suspicion, he couldn't see anything wrong with her and doubted he would unless she went into one of her 'fits'.

After checking her blood pressure, blood sugar, and temperature, Hatori couldn't help but conclude that he was right in his assessment the day before. She or her family had been lying about those other medical conditions to the school. For what purpose he had no earthly clue but just from visuals he could tell she was not suffering from anything debilitating or even minor. She was the picture of health physically.

Glancing over her bare arms he noticed the only thing that pointed him in the direction of some answers. Many white scars raced across her arms, as if they had been deeply sliced open. It wasn't uncommon for teenage girls to harm themselves as a form of release but they usually tried to hide the scars, not to mention that these were old. Gingerly taking her arms in his hands he looked them over, perfectly aware of Kagome bristling all the while. He saw no evidence of new scarring and they seemed to be healing nicely, perhaps her mental therapy was working more than they all thought?

"I didn't do it to myself if that's what your thinking." Her sudden voice startled him and caused him to meet her even gaze. He studied her a moment before releasing her arms and reaching into his bag for a pen and clipboard. He wasn't looking forward to this part of the exam. While she had been mostly accommodating for the physical, he knew she wouldn't be so for the mental exam.

"Then where did you get those scars from?" He asked patiently. She frowned, looking at her arms with loathing and what he could only guess was sadness. She said nothing for quite a while and he wasn't sure if she was going to. Every now and then Kagome would fidget and her gaze would flick up to him as if debating on saying something before giving up and looking back over her marred flesh. With a sigh he interrupted whatever thought process was going through her head. "This will go by faster if you cooperate."

"I'm _fine,_ " She muttered spitefully. Where had he heard _that_ before? Shaking his head and pinched the bridge of his nose, this was going to take a while.

"If you're so fine then why do you have weekly appointments for a psychiatrist?" He decided that the best way to deal with her was to assert some form of authority. Either she'd cave or she'd get angry and vent all her problems.

"Because..." Kagome paused, lost a moment, before taking a breath. "Look, my family's over reacting okay! I'm fine, I just need some space! Everyone just needs to leave me alone for a while, is that so much to ask for?"

The girls eyes were blazing as she got herself worked up. She was practically yelling at him and she was slowly rising from the couch. He morphed his face into the most passive mask he could manage and adjusted his posture so that nothing about it said he was a threat. He really didn't need this and there were lots of breakable objects around that he had no doubt she would attack him with if given the chance.

"Miss Kagome that is exactly why I'm here." He decided to admit. He knew he wasn't supposed to tell her why he was _really_ there and he wasn't but he could manipulate the truth a bit. Besides, currently he saw no reason for her to be visiting any medical specialist. Sure she was behaving a bit irrationally but she was a teenage female who suffered some sort of traumatic experience. At his words her aura seemed to dissipate a bit and she blinked at him.

"What do you mean?" She asked suspiciously. The girl remained standing where she was but no longer seemed like she was ready to attack.

"I mean, Miss Kagome, that you're mother asked me to come here and examine you as another opinion." The dragon began explaining with a half truth. "If you are clear with me you would no longer have to see any other doctor. Of course it would be irresponsible of me not to check up on you every now and then but you would have your wish to be alone."

It seemed like that was all it took for her to calm down and her shoulders instantly relaxed. Then, for the first time, he saw her smile and he couldn't help but stare at it. The smile lit up her whole face like the sun and he realized that she was truly a rather beautiful girl. She sat down and tucked an errant strand of black hair behind her ear before gazing up at him with a look that was neither suspicious or guarded.

"What would you like to know?"


	6. Don't Come Near

(A/N: I'm working on a cover for the story so it should be up within the next couple of days or so. Also, I work full time and my weekends are around Tuesday and Wednesday so expect updates around that time of the week =3)

Chapter 5 ~Don't Come Near~

 _Play nice, just play nice Kagome,_ the teen thought to herself as she gazed at the man beside her. This man had just stated that he was her ticket to normalcy and she didn't want to screw it up. Internally she regretted how she first treated him now, probably gave him enough evidence that she was paranoid from the get go. First impressions were always important, but she couldn't help the vibe she was getting from him, it felt wrong. It didn't help how passive his expression was and how distant his gaze seemed. This was a man who screamed of secrets, and in her experience that usually meant that he was a demon in disguise. She had seen something questionable when she first opened the door and really didn't want to let him in, but she forced her self to let him pass. She had confused her friends for demons a couple of times when they were in fact human as everyone kept stating, so who could say she wasn't seeing things this time? It wasn't truly until the last couple of days that she really began to question if what she was seeing was real. Was she witnessing memories as the other doctors claimed or was she hallucinating? She didn't want it to be the latter, if she couldn't trust her sight to know when danger was coming how could she defend herself? For the last couple of days she had grown accustomed to shrugging of quiet a few things and even began to ignore some of the smaller spiders that liked crawling on the ceiling. They really needed to get the house bug bombed some time. She would have remember to bring that up with her mother once she was done here.

Getting back to the doctor, she found him odd, and not just for the visual messages she was receiving. He was cold in a way that doctors just usually weren't, yet at the same time he seemed unwilling to fight her. He had given in when she was getting annoyed and ready to storm out the door, yet at times he spoke with a commanding voice that practically demanded attention. Honestly Kagome couldn't help but wonder just what his story was. She kind of wanted to ask but she didn't think he would divulge his past so easily. Maybe she could make it hard on him, only willing to exchange her own information for his. Secretly the priestess wondered what this cold and passive man would think of the truth. It had been a precious secret, and one she would never tell for they would call her crazy... well more crazy. Time traveling to fight demons and save the world was not really sane in the minds of specialists.

However there was another reason that she didn't even want to admit to herself. It had been little over a year since the well stopped working for good and along with trying to identify what was real and what wasn't, a thought had occurred to her. It was such a scary thought that she couldn't help but feel panic rise up whenever it came to her mind.

 _What if none of it was real?_

What proof did she really have of being in the feudal era? Sure there was evidence of her being gone from school and stuff but she had nothing from that time. Maybe her family was just being nice and agreeing with her delusions because she had been sick all this time. The mere idea of none of what she experienced being real made her want to puke. The friends she made, the battles, the adventures... Inu-

"Miss Kagome are you alright?" The doctors voice broke through her mental musings and she looked at him. His gaze was interesting, at once analytical but if she wasn't mistaken, she saw a hint of concern.

"I'm fine, just waiting for you." She smiled, not really realizing what she said. Kagome had an act to put on after all, she couldn't be caught up in wondering just how crazy she was at the moment. No, for now she just had to keep smiling and act normal.

"Alright," The doctor blinked, schooling his face to keep it neutral. "Now why don't you tell me about your boyfriend."

Immediately the teen flushed bright red. That wasn't the line of questioning she hadn't expected. Her current mental doctor always started with trying to remember _that_ night, or asking how her days was. In fact they never really delved into her relationships, heck he had only asked about her friends once after she nearly attacked them. Probably thought that she hated them, she didn't. Truth was, she missed them dearly but she could have sworn they had been possessed. Maybe she really was crazy...

"I don't have a boyfriend." Kagome spoke a bit sullenly, her line of thinking was getting far too depressing. It didn't help that this line of inquiry was going to sting, not that she had to actually answer his questions but... The teen looked up to see the doctor looking at her with a raised brow. She really didn't like the vibe she got from him, she felt that he would be able to pry the information out of her one way or another. Maybe trick her into divulging what she knew. No, it would be less painful just to play along. Hopefully.

"Yes, I do believe in the report I got it stated that he died." Hatori watched as the girl flinched. Kagome knew she that it was written in the report that her family gave but hearing it put so blatantly felt like a punch to the gut. She was right about it probably being less painful to just give him what he wanted. Waiting patiently, the girl tried to keep from fidgeting while waiting for the inevitable flood of questions. "What was he like?"

Just like that her head shot up and she looked him in eye, not getting anything from from the doctors stoic expression. That was not one of the questions she had been expecting or was prepared for. What was he like? Not, _what happened?_ Not, _how did he die?_ Frowning, Kagome started nibbling on a finger of hers. How would she describe him? Honestly that line of questioning was harder to answer than she first thought, not because it hurt though. Honestly it was probably one of the easier questions to answer in terms of opening old wounds, she had fought with him enough, no the hard part would be getting the other to understand the layers to the half demon. He was more than just a bad attitude and grit, he had a heart. One that had been broken and was then mended, forged in the heat of conflict. Perhaps she should start form the beginning when they first met.

 _Inuyasha..._

"Inuyasha was... Abrasive, egotistical, violent, hot tempered and absolutely the jealous type." A small smile crossed her lips and she missed the doctor nearly dropping his pen. She also missed the look he was giving her because she was off to her own world now. It didn't sound right coming out but that was how he was when they first met. Completely hopeless and rough around the edges. Her old emotions for him started taking over and she shook her head, laughing. "Did you know that when we first met he tried to kill me? He thought I was his dead girlfriend back from the grave. If it wasn't for some help I don't think I would have been able to tame him at all."

Kagome's distant gaze turned sad then, "I know it sounds like he's a terrible person but he wasn't. Not really. He had been hurt and betrayed so many times before that closing his heart was the only thing he could do to protect himself. I couldn't stand him at first. I thought he was an egotistical jerk but... After a while I began to realize how much I loved him. I think, the first time I really felt it was when he was defending me from his older brother. I was trying to help but I almost ended up getting killed. He pushed me out of the way and said 'Kagome, you need to shut up and let me protect you!' At that moment, when he looked at me and said that, I think... that's when I knew I wanted to be with him. Every time he got hurt protecting me I would patch him up, he never really thanked me for it but he wasn't the type. I can't remember how many times he's saved my life. In fact, I don't think... I-I d-don't think..."

Kagome's voice became heavy and it took a moment to realize she was crying. Fat tears were welling in her eyes as she took a shaky breath. All roads led to one point in time and as she turned her gaze upwards her vision began tunneling till she could only see a small opening up above which held a bloody red sky. No, not again!

"I d-don't think I-I'd be here r-right now, if not for h-him," She choked out.

It was true, how many times would she have died if not for the half demon? How many times had he saved her from certain destruction at the hands of their enemies? In truth without him in the world, she felt unsafe. Perhaps that's why at even the tiniest whiff of a demon her entire body tensed, because she didn't have her protector anymore. If any monster came closer to her she would have to rely on her own mediocre abilities to protect herself and her family. She wasn't strong enough and she didn't have any help, the teen felt so much weight on her shoulders, just to keep everyone alive as she couldn't before. The stress was eating her mind alive and no one was going to able to stop it. She didn't even notice her spiritual powers go into overdrive or the doctor nearby try and get her attention. She glanced at him only to let out of yelp of shock. She wasn't seeing a handsome young health professional, it was some sort of twisted deformed... hell she didn't even know what it was! Massive fins protruded from it's face and scales littered it's body as spines twisted and curled around it's form. A blazing aura ignited around it and crashed against her own holy power in a graish mix of blues and pinks. The room was suddenly crawling as if alive with millions of tiny insects and her breathing became more erratic. Colors seemed to erupt from everything as their auras battled around the area in a disco of flashes but all she could do was stare that the... abomination occupying the couch with her. It tried to call her name but the sound came out warped and garbled. She let out a cry before she hopped up and tried to attack the thing.

0o0

Whoever this girls psychiatrist was had to be terrible at their job. He doubted that the only reason she was opening up was because he was her key to freedom. She seemed stumped by his easy questions and kind of eager to tell someone once she got going. Hatori wondered if maybe she had often ranted to her friends about her boyfriend. How she was attracted to someone with the description she gave was beyond him, however he had seen similar over the past year. This did not mean however, that he wasn't worried. It seemed to the dragon that she had been more than a little unhinged in the first place.

When she first met this guy he nearly killed her and then she stayed? She was romanticizing him, even if it didn't seem like it. To him, it sounded like an abusive relationship doomed to failure, not one that would lead to a happy ending. What did her family think of this? He looked up to ask, only to see her violently shaking and breathing heavily, tears running down her face. He called her once and she didn't acknowledge him, was it just a panic attack or something else?

"Miss Kagome," The dragon tried again with a bit more force in his tone. Her eyes snapped to him and he saw them widen and she let out a shriek before jump off the couch as if it had burned her. Hatori, for his part, was stunned and didn't have much time to react. He noted that her eyes were completely glazed over and he doubted she had any clue just where she was anymore. This was bad.

He honestly hadn't intended on triggering one of her episodes but he now understood everyone's caution. It became even more apparent why when she lunged at him! Quickly he moved off of couch as she tried to tackle him. Putting his hands up, the doctor tried to calm her down but she just let out another cry and tried to swipe at him. Strangely, as her hand passed by his face it felt warm, as if she was emitting some sort of heat. He stumbled back, careful not to break anything. Ms. Higurashi raced into the room looking confused when she saw her daughter attempt to pounce on the the older man once again. That one was far too close, Hatori decided, he was trying his best not to get too near in case she made him transform. That was honestly the last thing he needed, for them and for him.

"Kagome stop!" Her mother called which caused the teen to pause before turning her head to see her mother. Her eyes, if anything, got more wild and frenzied.

"Mom! Go grab my bow, NOW!" She called and during the distraction the doctor took it upon himself to grab her arms and try to keep her from failing around. That plan however didn't work out for the second he touched her a searing pain shot through him finger tips. He hissed and backed away as she looked on triumphant. He really needed to find something to snap her out of this. Cautiously he looked around, the other woman had ran out of the room and apparently was going to retrieve the 'bow' Kagome asked for. Finally his eyes landed on the photo's on the wall nearby, the curious red clad figure stood out among them, was this her boyfriend? Hatori doubted it would work but even if she was distracted it might be long enough for him to get to his bag and find a sedative. As it stood her gaze was fixed on him however she didn't seem to be making a move, just pinning him with a look of rage and oddly enough, terror. He took a step closwer towards the picture wall only to have her take a few steps forward.

"Not another move demon!" The dragon froze and glanced at the girl who was trembling and to his surprised seemed to be... glowing. It was very slight and barely visible but it seemed like a very soft pink aura was around her. Taking a deep breath he looked away.

"Miss Kagome," He tried once more hoping he would hear her. He could feel her hot gaze him and he tried to remember what the name was that she had used. "Is that your... 'Inuyasha' in those photos?"

Kagome blinked at him several times before mercifully turning and looking at the wall. The frown on her face got more dramatic and she hesitated a moment before she slowly started making her way to the side of the room, her eyes not leaving his the entire time. The doctor chanced a glance at her, and found that she moved surprisingly gracefully. The girl obviously had to have some skill in fighting for her to have such a predatory stance. Hatori watched as her gaze left him to look at the wall, racing back to him every couple of seconds. Finally what was in the pictures must have registered to her because she gingerly she reached out a trembling hand and touched one of the photo's that had the red clad figure more obviously in it. There was nothing short of silence before Kagome's voice shot through the quiet.

"MOM!" She yelled, her shrill voice echoing through the house. Ms. Higurashi came out of one of the back rooms gripping tight to a red bow, he did notice that there were no arrows to go along with it.

"Kagome, what is it? I have your bow here, I-" Kagome was caressing the pictures on the wall as she turned towards her mother, cutting off the womans statement.

"When were these taken?" The girl asked, voice trembling. The mothers shoulders relaxed a bit but her eyes were filled with confusion. Her two handed grip on the wooden weapon tightened as she moved closer and saw what she was looking at. Blinking, she looked back at her daughter in slight surprise that the girl hadn't noticed them before.

"Your brother took them the couple times Inuyasha visited." The older woman muttered wistfully as she gazed over the variety of pictures on the wall. "He wanted to take as many as he could in case you decided to stay with him. You know that boy wouldn't have sat still for a real photo so Souta had managed to take some in secret. Please don't be mad at your brother."

Kagome looked at her mother, incredulity evident on her face. Hatori seemed to have escaped their minds but he was content watching. While the teen was still riding some sort of emotional high, she no longer seemed dead set on exorcising him. It looked like, despite what Kagome had told him, her family was well aware of who the young man was. Perhaps he had put up a good front for the family so he could get to their daughter? Yet why would they all be acting _this_ way?

"H-how did you know I wanted to stay?" Kagome asked, completely baffled. Her mother could only give her a knowingly sad smile in return.

"It was obvious Kagome, we were certain you were going to marry him." The teen flushed at this and looked down as she began really crying. her hands covered her eyes as she tried to hold in her sobs. The firey aura that had encased her frame dissapated, the tempurture of the room also seemed to no longer be boilingly hot either. Her mother merely held the girl close and petted her hair. After a minute of crying, Kagome excused herself from the embrace and raced up the stairs. After hearing a door slam somewhere above the doctor finally decided it was a good time to move. He relaxed and watched as Ms. Higurashi set the bow down near the doorway in obvious relief that it hadn't been used.

He really needed a break.

With a sigh the dragon reached into his coat pocket to grab his cigarettes when his fingers twinged in agony. He raised his hand and to his utter shock, little black splotches were on the pads. gingerly he traced them and much to his dismay they hurt, as if they were actual burns on his skin.


	7. Destiny Avoided

Chapter 6: ~Destiny Avoided~

The nearly noon sun rose high above the city sky. Clouds littered the horizon but promised no rain, only brief protection from the oppressive star. Hatori knew he probably shouldn't be smoking, especially on the grounds of a shrine but he needed something to cool down. He felt like there had been... some progress made with the girl but it was clear she wasn't stable. Hatori looked at his burnt fingers again with a frown, still unsure how that even happened. It was also clear that whoever was in charge of her mental health needed to be fired, they were incompetent at the very least. He recalled through the conversation and everything he saw, even her glances when she thought he wasn't looking, to her reactions. It wasn't just simple PTSD, he was starting to believe it might be some form of schizophrenia as well. What a mess this was... but while he understood that it would probably be best for the young girl to leave this place that obviously triggered her more often than not, there were plenty of factors that lead him to not want her at the estate. For one, despite her living grounds being an older shrine it still had a modern atheistic and it was right off of one of the main roads inside the city. The isolation and feeling of culture shock would have a profound effect on the girl as it had several people who had been made to live at the estate before hand.

Given her condition, he didn't know how much it would help her to feel like she had been warped back in time. Then there was the other problem of Akito most likely not wanting to stay away from her. It was uncommon for the head of the clan to spare his time to those outside of the zodiac but this case had earned his curiosity and thus his attention. It was a firestorm waiting for happen and for everyone's sake he could not allow the two to clash. Perhaps he could set up something to get the girl somewhere else for a month or two without letting his god know. The dragon let out a snort at that, it was unlikely.

"I didn't think a doctor would be a smoker." A woman's voice cut through Hatori's musings and turned to see Kagome's mother step out of the house. Her expression was unreadable as she joined him outside and he couldn't blame her, this situation was taking it's toll on everyone.

"Everyone has their vices," He responded easily. He knew he shouldn't but his friends had gotten him into it early and he didn't have the time to find it in himself to quit. Not for the first time the dragon found himself cursing the mutt he had for a companion. Ms. Higurashi was silent for a long time but clearly seemed like she wanted to say something. The dragon decided to take pity on her and took control of the conversation, he was going to need answers anyway.

"You knew her boyfriend then," He started as he flicked his fingers over the cigarette. The woman beside him smiled and gave a nod.

"We first met him while we were sitting down for dinner one night." Her story started off normal enough, dinner with the family, he could get behind that. The older woman smiled, chuckling a bit at the memory she was having. "Everyone was startled when he busted through the door all of a sudden. I cant remember what he said really, he grabbed Kagome but I couldn't stop looking at his ears, they were so cute I had to touch them. Kagome later told me that she did the same thing when she first met him. I always wondered if their babies would have the same adorable ears that he did."

If the dragon hadn't had the experience dealing with countless patients, along with the ridiculous antics of his friends and family, he wouldn't have been able to help the reaction that threatened to split his face. The woman beside him was laughing lightly and the doctor couldn't help but wonder if the whole family was a bit unhinged. There was nothing in that story that came across as something that wouldn't set off warning bells. Just what was going on here? Every time he felt like he was close to getting definitive answers he was thrown something new that just added more questions. As if realizing what she said was a bit off, the mother gave a small smile.

"I guess that sounds a bit odd," She giggled as she saw the doctor try to remain neutral. "I know the situation seems a bit unorthodox but he really did love her. He would protect her with his life. Inuyasha... was rough around the edges but he changed over time and I know it was because of Kagome." Looking wistful, the woman's gaze drifted towards the direction of the large tree.

"I still expect him to show up in the house playing with the cat one morning, waiting for Kagome to wake up. While he never stayed often, he was liked here." Her gaze turned over to the man beside her. "That's why she needs to leave. This place has far to many memories of him, for all of us."

"Taeko," Hatori let out a long sigh, saying her real name had caused the woman to flinch. "You understand why it wouldn't be a good idea. From what I've seen its more than what everyone else thought and this case has caught Akito's attention. She would be in danger from him and I don't know if she can handle... the possible strain."

There was a long silence. He didn't want to come right out and say that it was more than likely the head of the family would abuse the girl. For one, he wasn't even sure Akito would go that far, seeing as she wasn't a part of his zodiac. Most of his vitriol seemed reserved for those that were deemed closest to him, ironically enough. Unfortunately, this case was special and her mother had done the girl no favors by running off like she did.

The other problem was the likelihood that Kagome had been abused previously by her boyfriend. While no one had come out and told him that, everything he had seen indicated some sort of domestic violence and possible mental manipulation as well. With the gods need for absolute control and authority, the girl could easily end up breaking. Looking at the woman beside him, he noticed she had an odd smile on her face that seemed very out of place with the direction his thoughts had taken. Yet, she gave him a knowing glance, as if she was well aware of why he was concerned.

"Kagome may surprise you," She finally spoke softly. It was a good front, Hatori had to admit, but he still saw the uncertain fear lingering in the woman's eyes. "She's stronger than you may think."

The dragon opened his mouth to retort but was interrupted by the shrill ring of his cell phone. He fished it out with his burnt fingers and winced at both the name and the pain. Speak of the devil...

 _"You've been over there for quiet a while Hatori. Did the little bird give you any trouble?"_ The voice of Akito sounded from the speaker as the doctor answered. The mother beside him must have heard a bit of the conversation for she froze in place. The color drained from her as she looked at the phone in slight terror. He spared her a glance before he walked towards the big tree for some privacy.

"Miss Kagome did try to attack me during the mental exam," The doctor admitted. There was a pause before he heard the head of the family start the laugh. It wasn't the most pleasant of sounds.

 _"What, pray tell, did you do to set her off?"_ Akito was clearly amused and that boded ill.

"I'm not certain," And it was true, he could only guess. "However I believe who ever has been in charge of her mental health has done a very poor job. She has been showing signs of possible schizophrenia, seeing things that aren't there, even without going into one of her fits. She even called me a demon-." There Hatori paused, remembering not for the first time the slight throbbing in his finger pads. Should he tell Akito about he fact that she had been glowing and somehow burned him?

No, it wouldn't help matters. Hell he could even be certain that what he had been seeing wasn't just a trick of the light. The burns though-

 _"What else?"_ Akito asked, startling the doctor out of his thoughts. Quickly deciding to ditch that curiosity, the dragon decided to focus on getting the deity to not want the girl around.

"I believe that the shrine has several key triggers in causing her episodes, it holds too many memories including those of her abusive boyfriend. However, I don't think bringing her to the estate is a good idea. The culture shock alone might not be healthy in her current condition and its possible she could start attacking people."

A pause.

 _"What aren't you telling me Hatori?"_ The doctor froze a moment. The cigarette butt in his hand had long since burnt out and he desperately wished it hadn't. When he didn't respond right away there was a low growling coming from the phone. _"Do you really mean to tell me that we would be under threat from a weak teenage girl? Were you not able to defend yourself? Don't think you can fool me, I know when your trying to hide something from me, Hatori. Now what is it?"_

"It's not something I can really discuss here, I would have to show you." Hatori voiced, hoping that would delay the decision for a while. He didn't even want to tell the man but he knew that Akito would gladly punish him for insubordination. He would just need to think of a good excuse on the way home."There are a lot of factors in this case and I don't feel that moving her would be beneficial. It's my opinion as a doctor that she stay where she is or go to a psychiatric ward for help and supervision."

Hatori really didn't want to say that because it was well within Akito's rights to decided the girl go there. He didn't want to think about the young girl being locked up and others thinking her psychotic but it was better than the alternative. There was a long stretch of silence which meant the head of the clan was thinking over everything, honestly it was nerve wracking. Finally, the others low voice was heard through the electronic device.

 _"Very well, you may come back and tell me just what is so important that it can't be said over the phone."_ Hatori breathed a silent sigh of relief. That should have bought him a bit of time. Shoulders relaxing, the doctor cast a glance over to the house to see the rather large cat that they owned come strolling out of it. The feline yawned and looked towards the doctor lazily before waddling off.

He didn't know how much time he could buy for them, but maybe he could get Akito to change his mind in person. It was a lot harder to read the gods moods over the phone. The dragons relief and plans however, were quickly thrown out the window as the next statement came through the speakers.

 _"Make sure to bring the girl with you while your at it."_

0o0

"Boy, the Prince and orange head have been acting really weird lately." Arisa Uotani commented from her position on the wall. The tall blonde was scanning the courtyard when she had noticed the two boys together, not fighting. The other two girls, Saki Hanajima and Tohru Honda observed them curiously but it took a moment for the shortest girl to realize the comment and been directed at her for an explanation. Tohru had never been the brightest bulb in the box and her head was filled with so many other things that she was more spacey than usual the last couple days. Flushing a bit, Tohru quickly tried coming up with an excuse.

"W-wierd? What could you possibly mean?" The brunette asked, sneaking a few glances at the boys in question. it was odd for them to not be fighting at lunch. It was also odd for them to not be near her but her friends had decided that they wanted her time today and given her friends track record they easily got what they wanted.

"Yes, they have been acting strange," Hana confirmed. "They are not the only ones though. Tohru, what has been on your mind?"

Tohru jumped slightly before giving a nervous laugh. How did everyone always know when something was on her mind? She had been hiding it from the boys, but she should know better than to underestimate her friends. It was true though, she did have a lot on her mind. It was starting to even reflect in her school work, her notes were little more than hastily scribbled phrases, her homework wasn't neat and she knew that the teachers would doc her points for it. This was not something she could help though, while school was important and graduating was her current mission this last week had been a roller coaster. The boys seemed to be taking it the worst, they kept hiding from her their worries and their fears, she knew this. Tohru had overheard a conversation they had with Shigure while they thought she had been taking a shower. They were all waiting for Akito's final verdict.

Her confrontation with the head of the family had been... less than stellar, to say the least. While Tohru hadn't a clue what she had wanted to accomplish by going, she knew that there was more she could have done. More she could have said, but she had froze. She had been weak and now everyone was worrying because she hadn't been strong enough. Every day she had been hoping to hear something from Akito, while everyone else was on needles waiting for the eventual communication she was once curious and also anxious. Would he take up her offer of friendship? She wanted him to. While her mumbling and scatterbrained attempt to reach him had been pathetic, she had only said what she was honestly feeling at the time. Perhaps he had thought she was insincere? Going back over all the conversations she had with him, it was possible he hadn't believed her. This was another problem that she could rectify if she was strong enough. She could go to the main house and find something to say that would make the god of the zodiac understand that she really wanted to know him. While others saw fury and rage, she saw pain and sorrow, and unlike Kyo and Yuki who had plenty of people to interact and bond with, Akito had no one.

Tohru knew what it felt like to be isolated and alone. It, admittedly, hadn't happened often in her life time as she always found friends to pick her back up and to keep her sane. Most recently the wonderful family who took her in when she hadn't wanted to be a burden on anyone else. Thoughts about Akito and what his life must have been like and the pain he had to be going through almost every day was enough to keep her awake at night. Sometimes she felt so sad and depressed for him that she found herself crying. If only she was stronger, if only she could truly help him as she did for the rest of his family. It was wasn't fair that he had to suffer while everyone was happy, and while that thought echoed one of the gods own sayings, Tohru only took it to mean that if she could help them why not him as well? For some reason, one which she didn't really understand, she was able to help the Shoma's just by being herself. If there was any one thing her mother had told her that had helped her and many other people it was that.

 _Just be yourself_

Just be yourself, Tohru echoed in her mind. Sometimes it was hard though, sometimes it felt like being herself just wasn't good enough. She wasn't good enough. These thoughts had been circling in her mind for the longest time, but they only became this loud when she got to see Kyo's true form. She had been terrified, revolted, hurt and sad. All those emotions raising into a hellish cacophony to the point where she hadn't even been aware of where she was going that rainy night. That was the first time that she had run out of stuff to say. Where her mothers strength which she could usually feel flowing through her when dealing with problems was gone. She truly felt alone and all she had was herself and the words that flowed freely from her heart. Maybe that night her mother had decided it was time for her to grow up and face the world on her own. That idea hurt, she wasn't ready. She was still just a girl in high school, struggling to go through with everything that was happening.

If only she was stronger.

"Hey Tohru!" The brunette snapped to attention so suddenly that she actually lost her balance and fell over backward. Her friends were then staring down at her looks of confusion, amusement and in Hana's case, calmness.

"W-what?" The girl asked, completely forgetting that she had been asked a question. Her mind was too jumbled to process more than one thing at a time.

"Boy, you got it bad," Uo muttered with a shake of her head, before offering a hand to the girl on the ground.

"What do I have? I'm not sick am I?" She asked immediately. The last thing she needed was to be sick and miss a day of school! She was barely paying attention in class as it was!

"Don't even joke about something like that," Hana countered in her airy voice. "Though, her signals are getting tangled up. That only usually happens when someone has become twitterpated."

Face red, Tohru brushed the dust off of her clothes. Surely her fall wasn't bad enough to cause any real damage right?

"So Tohru, tell us," her blonde friend gave a playful smirk. "Which lucky guy is it that has your thoughts all in a mess? Is it the Prince or Orange head?"

Seeing nothing wrong with this line of questioning and completely missing the undertones of the conversation, she glanced at the boys who had finally started bickering with one another to the delight of most of the school body. Would they be upset if she told her friends a bit about the situation? Not all of it of course, but maybe they would have some advice.

"Actually, it's another guy," Tohru began, missing the look of alarm on the face of her yankee friend. " He's the head of the Sohma family. We had a small meeting a couple days ago and Yuki and Kyo are worried about me. I feel honored that they are but I want to help Akito, I think he needs really needs someone."

"And what, you think you're that person?" Uo asked, causing the smaller girl to turn back to her friend in confusion. " Look Tohru, if you really found a guy that you like then I'm happy for you. As long as Hana and I get to take a shot at him that's great, but those two really care about you. Don't you think that making room for another guy in your life might hurt them as well? Don't think you have to be responsible for everyone with a sob story. I know it's the way that you are but I get worried and this situation sounds like it will just lead to one big mess."

Apparently the girls weren't all on the same page as Tohru looked at her friends with confusion and an intense concentration that actually worried them a little bit. It shouldn't have been that hard to piece together but the air headed teen was always discovering new ways to make them worry for her mental state. For her part, Tohru was trying to figure out how best to explain without blowing the big family secret. She knew how it was going to sound coming out, like she was some egotistical wench but she was only meaning it with the best of intentions.

"B-but, if I can help him, it will help everyone else too," Deciding to go with her heart, as she had been doing she let out her clumsy excuse. "If I can help Akito, if I can get him to open up then everyone else will be okay. They won't have to worry so much, all of them. Everyone I've made friends with, all the people who have helped me, in some small way i'll be giving back to them. I know that Yuki and Kyo will be against it, but I also know that if I can actually do this, they will be much happier in the end."

Tohru finished her small speech with a blindingly bright and sincere smile. Her friends immediately knew upon seeing it that she knew exactly what she wanted and they shouldn't have to worry, but they did. That beautiful light... any man who was able to capture that look was lucky but they better watch out. If they tried to take advantage of that kindness and brilliance they would have hell to pay.

"So it is true, our little Tohru has finally found someone." Hana muttered quietly as the bell rang, signalling the end of lunch.

Scooping up their bags and heading inside, Tohru couldn't help the smile that was plastered to her face. She hadn't' realized her inner thoughts until she had spoken them aloud, and now that she was aware of them it felt like a heavy weight had been lifted. She could help everyone she cared about by doing this. That thought filled her with strength and a brief confidence in herself. While she could never really be in tune with her own desires, she could always gain strength when others were in need, and who needed her more than her precious adopted family?

(A/N: No she is not in love with him right now, her friends are just giving her shit. She is expressing the same amount of curiosity, interest and desire to help as she feels with all the others she has met. It can easily come off as affection but I don't believe she would even be aware of such an emotion if she even had it at the moment.)


End file.
